Faded
by diiimplesssss
Summary: After faking her own death in order to protect her team, Caitlin Todd became Maura Isles. However, on a summer day, she runs into Anthony Dinozzo, her former partner. Will he keep her secret? Will Jane and the others find out? Will it all crumble? Rated M for future chapters.
1. Where have you been?

It was nearly six in the morning, and Maura Isles was already awake and heading out for her morning coffee. Of course, Jane and everyone else would still be asleep. They always were this early, unless her and Jane had a tough case that prevented her from sleeping. Today was not one of those days. However, it wouldn't go exactly as planned, either. Today, her whole world would change. Her two worlds were about to collide.

Maura walked into Papa Joe's coffee house and walked up to the counter, smiling at the man behind it. He was decent-looking; About 5'4" ( her height ), and a muscular jaw and build. If there was anything the medical examiner liked, it was a muscular jaw. Though she ignored his looks for the time being, they did not go unnoticed.

"What can I get for you?" He asked, looking her over with one of the whitest smiles she'd ever seen. He must be a very good flosser.

"A large mocha swirl with two shots of espresso, please," She smiled back at him, moving to sit on one of the stools. It was rare that she saw someone smiling this much for so early in the morning. Though, it was nice. If Maura smiled like that at Jane this early, she'd throw a pillow at her head and tell her it was "Too early to be so chipper." Her thoughts didn't discourage her. They merely egged her on.

"Coming right up," The man named David said, throwing a small dishcloth over his shoulder, beginning to pour her order. "So, what are you doing up so early? You one of those early risers?"

"Something like that. I work for Boston P.D. The lot of us are a bunch of early risers...Well, some of us."

David threw a knowing look over his shoulder as he placed her drink on the counter, the tips of their fingers brushing as she took it from him. She blushed and gently opened the top, sipping it. A hum left her lips at the burning liquid.

"How's it taste?" David asked her, his hands on his hips. He was still smiling at her, almost as though it was a permanent feature of his body outline. "Amazing. I don't think I've ever had anything better." And that was that. Maura Isles didn't lie. If she did, she'd get hives. Therefore, what she was saying was absolutely the truth. She'd never had better coffee.

"Wow. I'm honored to serve the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts the best coffee she's ever had."

Surprised, Maura placed her coffee on the counter, staring at him with wide eyes. "You know who I am?" Her mere surprise and absolutely adorable inquiry caused him to chuckle. Maura noticed him bite his lower lip. That was certainly impressive as well...Everything he was doing was impressive. "Of course I do. You had one of the best articles on cellular division I've ever read, published. I could read your theories for hours." Well, if she wasn't blushing before, she certainly was now.

"That's very sweet of you. Though, I'm no biologist. I don't know all there is to know, nor do I claim to. I do have some interesting theories, though.." Her tone was laced with flirtation as she bit her own lower lip. Only Maura Isles could pick up a man in a coffee shop. And nail it.

David caught on immediately, smiling at her as he leaned forward. "Yeah? What would those be?" Just as she was about to respond, her phone rang. The blonde groaned inwardly at the interruption, and she frowned. "I'm sorry. I'll be right back." Slowly, she got up from her seat, leaving her coffee behind, but taking her purse with her. When she picked up the phone, Jane was on the other end.

"Hey, where do you keep your instant?" A roll of her eyes wasn't stopped as she shook her head. "Jane, you know I don't keep instant in the house. There's some in the garage. Go nuts." Oh, wait. She already was. Jane had turned down breakfast with her for instant coffee? Who knows, maybe David would have taken a liking to her instead of Maura. Or, Jane might have just shrugged him off and told Maura to stay away from 'That type of guy.'

"Thanks, Maura. You're the best."

And with that, the line went dead. A soft sigh escaped the medical examiner's lips as she turned. However, the sigh turned into a yelp of surprise when she bumped into someone...him.

"Oh, my god, I'm so-...Tony?"

The man's eyes went wide, and Maura couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Kate?"

tbc.


	2. I missed you

Maura stood there, frozen in utter shock for a few seconds. Thankfully, she hadn't carried her coffee out with her, or else it'd be all over the front of Anthony Dinozzo's shirt right now.

"I..what the hell are you doing here?"

She questioned, eyeing him with a disbelieving look. He merely looked at her like she was...well, a ghost.

"Me? You're seriously asking me that question right now? You're..alive! How is this possible? I watched you die! Your blood splattered my face!"

"SSHH!" She reprimanded, pulling him around the nearest corner. Their bodies were inches apart, and Maura felt her head start to spin with the closeness and the surprise and the confusion. There were so many emotions in her head that it was hard to process them all.

" I should have known that you'd come looking sooner or later. I knew I shouldn't..I.."

And without saying anything else, Tony wrapped his arms around Maura..Kate. Caitlin Todd. Kate. His Kate. No, she was never his Kate. They'd never been romantically involved. She had "died" too soon for that. Besides, he was still getting over Ziva. But, as he hugged her, everything melted away. The years, the time, the days. It felt like they were back at NCIS again. He was hugging her and that was all that mattered. Kate curled her fingers into his shirt, her eyes welling up with pent-up emotion from never properly dealing with her own death; or the loss of her friends. In reality, they'd never left. But she had. She'd made sure that they never found her. Except, one of them did. Tony did.

"It's okay, Katie. It's okay," Tony soothed, rubbing her back. That only made her cry harder and curl into him more. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, Tony," She felt herself whisper. Kate was half apologizing for staining his cotton shirt with her tears, and half apologizing for..everything. For making it hard for them and leaving her whole team with horrible memories of her dying. Carefully, she pulled away from him, composing herself just enough to manage to speak.

"You can't tell anyone. Do you understand? If you do, everyone is in danger. You, the team, my friends, my family. Everyone."

Tony simply looked at her with a raised brow, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Kate, we're not in danger. Ari..he's dead."

Maura's eyes went wide for the third time. How the organization hadn't told her that, she didn't know. Were they trying to let her live her life? "What? That's not possible?" Oh, but it was very possible. The fact that he was standing before her right now, told her that it was very possible.

"Just.. I don't understand. How could they not tell me? I.."

He simply moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her again. "It's okay, Kate. You can come back now. Everything is fine," Wait, she couldn't go back. Not now. She'd finally found her home. These people accepted her. Of course, NCIS had as well, but this was..different. If Jane ever found out that Maura had lied about who she was, she would never speak to her again. The woman couldn't tell her.

"Tony, I don't think you understand," She said, pulling away from him. "I can't go back. I have a life here. My friends, my family. My job. If I tell them everything, they won't trust me. I could lose my credentials." He seemed surprised at this. Maura was not the woman he'd known ten years ago. Even more than was blatantly obvious.

"Wait, what? Are you saying I have to keep this from them? Kate, they were..devastated when you died. We all were. You want me to go back there and lie to them and pretend I never saw you?" Taking his face between her hands, she looked him in the eye. He knew that look. She wasn't messing around with him, or kidding. "Tony, you have to. You have to go back there without me. Forget you ever saw me. Okay?" Anthony locked his jaw and moved to place his hands on her wrists, closing his eyes. He let out a breath before he reopened his eyes, biting his lips.

"Fine."

Caitlin nodded, carefully pulling him into another hug. She knew she'd have to let him go..again. She'd have to take her own advice and forget she ever saw him in Boston, and more importantly, what he was even doing here to begin with. "Please don't be mad at me..," She whispered, looking up at him. "Never," He murmured, pressing his lips to her forehead.

There was something so comforting about forehead kisses-especially his. They lingered there for a moment before he forced himself to pull away and lock his jaw, squaring his shoulders. "I'm so sorry I had to do this." Kate pulled away from him, feeling the sting of hot tears that were threatening to spill over. God, she wanted to rush back to him. Oddly enough, she wanted to kiss him. To be close to him. It was odd how much she'd missed him, when they'd never really been that close to begin with. Sure, there was sexual tension, but if you met Maura Isles or Caitlin Todd, rather, you'd know that she could have sexual tension with a spoon.

When Maura walked away, that left Tony standing there, leaning up against the wall. He was still trying to figure out. How could he keep this from everyone? Was Anthony Dinozzo a liar? No. However, he was a man of his word, and he'd promised Kate that he wouldn't give her up. No matter how much he wanted to. Carefully, he pushed himself off the wall and moved back to his car, running a hand down his face. He'd figure out what to do when he got back to the hotel.

Meanwhile, Maura had gone back into the coffee shop and paid for her coffee. "Hey, you alright? You look a little upset." David frowned, looking at the medical examiner.

"Yeah, I'm..alright," She said, giving him an incredibly forced smile. "Thank you for asking. And for the coffee. I'll come back again soon." "Promise?" "Promise."

Hopefully, what she just said wouldn't be a lie. She didn't even think about it for the fear that hives would begin to coat her skin. Now, she had to go home. She had to go home and pretend like none of this had ever happened. But, how well would that work? She still had nightmares from when Ari had killed her. And the two other times he'd kidnapped her. It was hard to believe that he was...dead.

After chewing on her lip and trying to decide what to do, she slid into her car and turned on the engine. Her car was familiar, with its leather interior and pictures on her dashboard. Maybe it would stay this way, with everything being familiar. She doubted it, though. Soon enough, they'd know. Someone would find out, and she'd be known as a liar. Maura Isles had to protect her image.


	3. Liars

Anthony had gotten back to the hotel about an hour after his encounter with Caitlin. He'd taken a detour to walk around and compose his thoughts, but he was still worried. How was he going to keep the fact that he'd seen her, from the rest of the team. It'd been years since any of them had thought about her, given the fact that Tony didn't like to hold onto death. When he arrived back at the hotel, he pushed open the doors and felt a cool breeze from the lobby and the scent of expensive perfume fill his nose.

"Where have you been?!" Came Eleanor Bishop's voice, whisper screaming from in front of him. He groaned inwardly. He didn't feel like dealing with the youthful banter that the blonde created.

"Out," He answered cooly, watching her with an unphased expression. After years of dealing with scolding from Kate, Ziva, and Gibbs, he was used to it. This wasn't the first time a woman walked all over him, or that he let them because they had nice tits.

"Clearly. We're undercover, remember? We're working. This is not the time for sight seeing, Dinozzo."

The scolding was punctuated by a gentle backhand to his chest. He didn't even blink. "How could I forget?" Tony gave a weary smile. For a moment, he forgot about his little run-in with Caitlin. But, by the time his smile reached his eyes, he remembered. And they fell again.

Eleanor may have been annoyed with him, but she wasn't inconsiderate. She noticed his crestfallen expression and tilted her head to the side, her lips forming a slight frown.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm..just tired." Lie. He hadn't lied to her before. Of course, if you were in NCIS, you were going to lie one way or the other, even if it was just to protect your team. That's what being undercover meant. You lied about your identity. But, this was different. It led him to question his own morals.

Bishop nodded and allowed him to get away with it. Whatever it was. She knew that she didn't liked when people pried into her life, and could only imagine that Tony didn't like it, either. "Alright, so. We've got a lead. There's this really suspicious-looking guy who has been hanging out in the library every day we've been here. I'm thinking he's our guy."

Tony just arched a brow. "You're thinking? Bishop, you're not paid to think. You're paid to know." Whoa. He was..really testy. Eleanor gave him a look.

"Yeah, I know. But I'm also paid to follow up on theories. And this is a major red flag." Anthony rubbed his forehead and just sat down in one of the lobby's chairs. "Did Abby ever tell you about Caitlin Todd?" Shut up, Dinozzo. Don't open your big fat mouth.

Eleanor seemed truly surprised by the question. "Well, I asked about her once. She said it'd require time and a lot of tissues." Tony just nodded and looked at his hands. "Why do you ask?" She questioned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No reason."

When Maura arrived back at her home, she sat there for a few minutes. It seemed that she was going almost as out of her mind as Tony was. Every now and then, Maura thought about her life as Caitlin Todd. Besides NCIS, she hadn't been leaving behind much. She had no parents to speak of and her sister was close to nonexistent in her life. No big loss, right? Wrong. Now, she had this giant secret looming over her head like a pendulum, rocking back and forth, ready to drop at any moment. How could she live like this? More importantly, how could she live with herself, knowing she was lying to Jane? Caitlin Todd had never had a best friend and neither had Maura Isles. Jane was important to her. **Jane, Jane, Jane**. Maura slammed her hands against the steering wheel, feeling hot tears burn her cheeks and mingle with the dried ones from earlier. She'd have to get out of her car and face everyone. It was now or never.

Slowly, she turned off the engine and slipped her keys into her purse before opening the door, trying to make it seem like she hadn't been crying. Thinking about it, it would have been smart to powder under her eyes, but. Too late now. Maura walked up the wooden steps and stared at the front door. For a moment, she felt like she didn't have a right to her life anymore. How could she enter that house and lie? Maura Isles wasn't a liar.

She was now.

The medical examiner carefully opened the door. Nothing was different. Bass was still munching on strawberries that Maura had left him. Her furniture hadn't moved. It was her body that didn't feel familiar anymore. Perhaps that feeling would fade with time, she hoped.

"You're home!"

Came a chipper voice. It was Angela. The elder Italian woman had become like a second mother to her. Hell, she treated her more like a daughter than she did Jane at times. That wasn't to say that she didn't love Jane, because she did, but with Angela..she had a warmness about her. When and if she confessed to leading a double life, she'd be the most understanding, she knew. Angela would be the one to talk Jane down and get her to see reason.

Hopefully.

As Maura rounded the corner, she saw the woman on a three-step step ladder. She realized that she'd given Angela permission to rearrange her entire kitchen for purpose of her organizational company that she wanted to start.

"I am," She said simply, setting her purse down on the counter. "How's it going in here?" How it was going was clear, judging by the array of plastic tupperware scattered across the island style countertop. There were labels and a label maker near the woman, and it caused Maura to smile. A small one, though.

"Oh, you know!" She chuckled, moving to step down to greet the younger woman with a hug. She was tense, but managed a firm hug that wouldn't lead Angela to suspect anything was wrong. "Should be done soon. Have you talked to Janey at all today? I checked the guest bedroom and she wasn't there."

Maura simply shrugged.

"I spoke to her this morning. She asked me where my instant coffee was. That was it."

"Hm," Angela responded, moving over to wash her hands in the sink. "Do you think she'll come to dinner tonight? She's been in a rather good mood lately, no tough cases and all."

Angela wasn't an idiot. She'd raised two children who were now fully grown and liked to hold in their feelings. Maura wasn't her usual quirky self, and that was easy to see.

"I can always text her," Maura said, already pulling out her phone. Before she had time to send the text, a hand was placed on her arm. "Hold it," The woman directed, taking the phone and placing it down. "Something's wrong, I can see it. Spill."

Crap. How did she always know? When and if Maura ever became a mother, she only hoped to have the sixth sense that Angela did with spotting unaligned emotions.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Nothing's wrong."

Lie. She was just getting better now. This only caused Angela to give the girl a look and cross her arms. "Really," She assured, giving her a small smile. Usually, if Maura tried hard enough, she could ward off the hives. She was getting better at it.

"...Alright," She sighed, deciding to just take her word for it. Of course Angela would believe her. She believed her because she didn't lie. Well, that she knew of.

"Good. I'll text Jane. I'm sure she won't mind coming tonight, seeing as I'm making her favorite." A good, cheesy lasagna. That would warm Jane up. Either that, or she'd know what was wrong the minute she smelled the meal.

"Sounds like a plan," The Italian rang, going back to her organizing. She needed to hurry if everything was going to be done for supper tonight.

 **[ SMS: Jane. ] Hey, are you coming to dinner tonight? I'm making your favorite. Also, Angela really wants you there.  
**  
And almost immediately, her phone vibrated.

 **[ SMS: Poindexter. ]: I'll try. Casey's in town. He wants to talk. Stall for me?  
**  
That was something else that was familiar. She wanted Maura to stall for her while she thought of an excuse as to why she was late. If Angela knew that Casey was in town after breaking up with Jane, and that she was ditching dinner, she'd have a fit.

 **[ SMS: Jane. ]: Always.** **  
**  
The medical examiner put her phone away and carefully leaned her head against her palm, wracking her brain. She needed to just stop thinking about it. That would solve everything. Maybe she could distract herself with bothering Jane. Not that she was really bothering her.

 **[ SMS: Jane. ]: So. I met someone today.**

 **[ SMS: Poindexter ]: Oh? What's his name?**

 **[ SMS: Jane. ]: Yes. His name is David. He was my barista at the coffee shop.**

 **[ SMS: Poindexter ]: Leave it to you to meet a guy while getting coffee at 6 a.m. Tell me more tonight. I've gtg. Love you.**

A smile crossed her lips. It almost seemed bitter sweet. They were such good friends that they truly did love each other like family. There was a pulling feeling. Once, she'd thought Jane was flirting with her, but she quickly assured herself that it wasn't anything like that. Jane was straight. That was why she was with Casey. Maura, on the other hand, had no idea what she wanted.

Right now?

All she wanted was freedom from her first identity and freedom from this secret.

 **[ SMS: Jane. ]: Love you, too.**


	4. Confessions

Tony was pacing. He never paced. And everyone knew that. That was why when Gibbs saw him, he sipped his coffee and gestured for him to follow.

"Dinozzo. My office. Now."

Oh, wonderful. They'd just gotten back from Boston and now Gibbs was already harping on him. A sigh of defeat left his throat as he stood up from his desk, closing the file he was currently working on, and shuffling after his boss.

"Sure thing, Boss," He replied as he followed.

What had he done wrong now? McGee looked up from his computer and raised a brow. He had to admit, Tony had been off since they got back. However, he didn't voice his concerns. Half because he knew Tony would shrug it off, and half because he knew that whatever was plaguing him, Gibbs would find out.

He always found out.

"Alright. I'm only going to ask once," The gray-haired ex-marine said. Even though he hadn't been on a base in years, he still carried himself like a soldier.

Once a marine, always a marine.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Boss," Tony replied, sitting on the edge of Gibbs' desk. That prompted Gibbs to slap him on the head with his paper, and he quickly took a seat.

"Sure you don't. Now tell me the truth."

"Though you said you were only going to ask once," Tony said with a shit-eating grin.

"You know, you've worked here for a long time, Dinozzo. I like to think of you as a close friend. I know you."

The first part of his sentence had been a bit sarcastic, but by the last part, he was completely serious. Gibbs knew Tony better than anyone else at NCIS. They both knew it.

"Look, I want to tell you. But I can't."

"You can't?"

"No. I promised someone I wouldn't."

Gibbs was impressed. A man of his word. He liked that. However, he knew there was more to this than a simple promise.

"I'm not going to tell anyone," Gibbs offered. Over the years, he'd been more of a therapist to his team than anything else. If they were feeling off, or they weren't sure of something, he was there. They could all say that with the upmost honesty.

"Gibbs…," He began, running a hand through his hair. He didn't finish his sentence.

"Is it something serious?"

Tony just nodded as Gibbs leaned back in his chair.

"You can tell me, Tony."

Gibbs hardly ever used his first name. He knew that if he just..got it off his chest, he'd feel better. But, what would Kate say?

"I ran into someone this weekend in Boston. It..wasn't someone I expected to ever see again. I don't want to ruin this person's life. Just keep that in mind."

Gibbs was intrigued now. Where was he going with this?

"I..saw Kate, Boss."

Gibbs said nothing. Tony had completely silenced him. For a moment, he wanted to say _we've all seen Kate, Dinozzo. You're losing it._ But, he knew he couldn't. Because the woman wasn't a mirage.

"I know."

Tony's jaw nearly dropped. He was kidding. He had to be.

"I'm sorry, it sounded like you said 'I know'."

"Because that's what I said, Dinozzo," He replied with a sigh, placing his laced fingers on the table.

"I've known for awhile."

Tony's jaw tightened. How could he have done this? How could he have lied to his entire team. When the hell did he even find out?

"When did you find out?" He asked, nearly demanding answers. Gibbs wasn't unaware of his tone. He'd expected it. Of course, those kind of predictions were what made him good at his job. He saw things coming.

"A year ago."

"A year?!" Ballistic, Anthony stood up, his chair falling over backwards when he did. He ran his hands through his short, slightly spiked up hair that was rather juvenile for his age, and began to pace again.

"Yeah," Gibbs murmured, watching him with a hardened expression. Jethro's expressions were incredibly hard to read..another part of what made him good at his job. However, right now, the only thing he felt good at was being an asshole.

"Here I am, going out of my mind because I didn't want to lie to you guys..and you've been lying to all of us for a year. That's low, Gibbs. Considering that you knew how I felt about her."

It was true. Jethro knew that Tony had deep feelings for Kate. How he'd managed to deal with her passing so well was almost unsettling. He'd pushed it down. He knew that feeling all too well. Gibbs wasn't one to apologize, but he knew when he was wrong. In this case, he should have told Tony. And he had every right to be angry.

"I know," He admitted, simply watching him. "It's done now, Tony. See? She told you the same thing I knew she'd tell me. She didn't want to be found, did she? That's exactly why I didn't persist. She has friends, Tony. A good job. She's happy." Tony couldn't argue with that. But, he also wasn't one to let things be.

"What do I do?"

"You let her be. You move on. And most of all, you keep your mouth shut."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

That night, when Jane arrived at Maura's house from work, it was much much later than either of them had expected. At the last minute, Jane had been swamped with paperwork. That also meant that Angela would be angry with her daughter, and now, so would Maura. The one night she really needed to talk to her, she wasn't there.

"You could have knocked," She murmured, looking up from her magazine that she'd been reading. Cellular division. Just what David had been talking about this morning. He'd liked it so much that she found she needed to go back and re read what she'd written.

This caught Jane off guard. She'd never been one that needed to knock upon entering Maura's home. They practically shared the house, if she was honest. Jane knew that tone immediately.

"Since when do I have to knock?"

"Since you missed dinner and didn't even think to call."

A sigh left her lips. Maura was mad at her. Wonderful.

"Look, I'm sorry. I had a bunch of paperwork to do and lost track of time. Don't be mad at me," She murmured, sitting beside the medical examiner. "I'm not mad," Maura responded, looking over at her. "I'm just..tired."

Jane raised a brow. Something about her best friend was off. "Okay, what's going on? This isn't just about dinner." Maura looked away. She couldn't tell Jane..she just couldn't. Not right now, at least.

"Jane, don't go looking for something that's not there.." Translation? Don't make me tell you what's on my mind.

Seeing the uncertainty in her eyes, she nodded softly and just leaned back. "Is there any food left over?" Maura nodded, thankful for the subject change. "In the microwave. I made sure to save you a big slice." Jane smiled at that. She really did care about her, even when she was angry.

"Thanks, Maur." Getting up, Jane flicked the light on and headed into the kitchen. She reached into the microwave and pulled out the slice of lasagna, grinning before heating it up again. "So..How pissed is Ma?"

Maura shrugged. "She really didn't seem that mad, but you know her." Yep. Jane did. As did Maura. That's what made their friendship so special. Maura understood how crazy Angela could be.

"Well, I can always cook her something from my grandma's cook book and she'll be fine."

Maura simply smirked. Jane knew just how to coax Angela into not being mad at her anymore.

"I guess that works, too."

And then, the ding of the microwave. Slowly, Jane pulled it out and gasped. "Ow, shit!" Maura rolled her eyes. "Jane, how many times do I have to tell you? Use the oven mit!" "But that's for the oven." Maura got up and moved over to Jane, taking her hand and looking it over. "You'll blister. Put some burn ointment on it."

Maura reached into the drawer in the kitchen where she kept all of her kitchen-related ointments and sprays and pulled out both a cream and spray. "Here," She murmured, opening it and beginning to apply the cream.

"Now be more careful."

Jane simply nodded and scrunched her face up to avoid tearing up at the pain. She refused to cry for something as minor as a microwave burn. Maura gently put an oven mit on, carrying Jane's plate to the table, placing a fork and knife beside it.

"What do you want to drink?"

"A beer."

She should have known. Maura smirked and reached in, pulling it out and taking the lid off for her best friend. She then handed it to her, pulling her robe tighter closed and sitting down in the seat beside her.

"Thanks," She murmured, looking up at Maura. "Are you..sure there's nothing wrong?"

And they were back to this again. Wonderful.

"Jane.."

Maura said, nearly pleading with her not to ask.

"Maura, you know you can tell me anything."

Could she really? Could she trust Jane not to get angry with her if she found out she'd been hiding such a giant secret all these years? To be fair, Jane had never asked. She'd never said "Was there ever a time when you weren't Maura Isles?" Maybe she could point that out.

"I...Ran into someone from my past today."

With that, Jane's expression became serious and concerned. She was scared that there was something seriously wrong with her friend. Was she in trouble?

"Who?" Jane asked, looking up at her, reaching out and gently placing her hand on the Italian's arm.

"Someone I used to work with."

Jane blinked. That was..odd. She didn't think Maura had ever had a serious job before working at the police station. "What happened?" Maura took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"He'd..thought I was dead." Jane blinked rapidly, tilting her head in confusion. "Why would he think that?"

….

"Because I faked my own death."


	5. Revealed

If Jane's hand wasn't throbbing, she would have pinched herself. Did Maura really say what she thought she said? "Mind repeating that, please?" She said, tilting her head. "Jane, you heard me." Holding up a finger, she glanced at the calendar, noticing that today was not April Fool's day. "Oh my god, you're serious." This was perhaps the biggest secret Maura had ever kept from Jane. No, it WAS the biggest secret. "I can explain," Maura said, sighing. "I used to work for the NCIS as a profiler. I was kidnapped, drugged..you name it. We were closing in on a killer when he kidnapped me and told me he was going to kill me, my family, and bomb everyone at NCIS. Well, I told my boss, Jethro Gibbs that he'd threatened me. He arranged for my death to look real. Ari, the man, had killed me. It all went off without a hitch. He even hired a makeup artist to make it look like I was truly dead. Everyone believed it. A week later, I was on a plane, starting my new life."  
When Maura stopped speaking, Jane just stared at her. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to think. "This..This whole time you've been lying. About everything." Maura's eyes began to pool with tears. She didn't know what would happen. "Jane, please. I wasn't lying, I was trying to protect the people I love! Including you!" Jane took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. "What's your real name?"  
"Jane…"  
"Tell me! Tell me, Maura!" Swallowing, Maura looked down and answered her. "Caitlin. Caitlin Todd." Jane was completely stunned. She'd heard that name before. She'd read about the dead agent. For ten years, she'd been pretending. The Italian understood, yet..she didn't. "I can't believe this. It's like I don't even know you." Shaking her head, Maura reached out and grabbed her best friend's hand. "You do know me. You know my heart. You know I'd never do anything to hurt you. Which is why it's killing me that I've done just that." Tears were running down her cheeks now. "I can't lose you, Jane. " And that was the absolute truth. A world in which her best friend didn't exist? Scared her more than Ari.

"Maura, look. I don't totally understand, but you're not going to lose me. Come here." Carefully, Jane pulled Maura into her arms, one hand cupping the back of her head. The medical examiner couldn't stop the tears of ( now ) relief flooding down her cheeks. "Shhh.." Jane soothed, holding her tighter. "I'm so scared, Jane. What if he finds me? Oh, God. What if this recent kidnapping is linked to Ari? He's an intelligent man. He'll find me." She was hysterical. And it pained the brunette to know there was nothing she could do. "I think we need to talk to this guy you saw. Figure out what he knows and make sure he knows to keep it to himself." Maura nodded slowly and decided not to argue with Jane. After all, this was her area of expertise. She wouldn't put Maura in any danger. "Do you know where I can find him?"  
"He's in town, but I don't know where he's staying. If he's out and about, I doubt he's lying low." Jane nodded in response. "I doubt it'll be too hard to find him. What's his name?"  
"Anthony Dinozzo."  
"Okay. Stay here. I'll be back in a little while. Hang tight." The thought of Jane confronting Tony made her nervous, but she trusted Jane.


	6. Kidnapped

**Author's note: TIME FOR A PLOT TWIST. Thank you so much for all the reviews and the follows. Y'all are why I do this! Hope you enjoy the next chapter!**

After calling Korsak and letting him know she was looking for someone, Jane got the info she needed, careful not to disclose any intimate details. Anthony Dinozzo was staying at a local hotel in room sixteen. A quiet smirk passed the detective's lips as she showed the clerk her badge and he told her where to go, confirming which room Tony was in. Finally, she arrived at his door and knocked twice. Tony answered, raising a brow. "Can I help you?" He asked. Jane held up her badge. "Detective Jane Rizzoli of the Boston P.D. I have a few questions for you." With that, Anthony pulled out his own badge. "Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo of NCIS. What questions might those be?"  
"Can I come in?"

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"She told me. Look, I don't know what kind of history you guys have, but if you care about her, I'm gonna need you to keep the fact you've seen Maura...Caitlin, to yourself." Tony leaned back, crossing his arms. "Jane, who are you to Kate?" This was still all new to Jane and it took her a minute to realize who this man was talking about. "I'm her best friend. Have been for ten years. And not one of those people who claims to be a best friend and never sees the other person."  
Tony understood. He knew that the woman he'd once known was no longer that same person. Caitlin Todd was somehow completely changed.  
"Jane, I'm not going to say anything. I..I loved her once. It killed me when she died. All I want is to spend a little time with her."  
Ah, so this was about more than friendship.  
"Look, you seem like a good guy. And you're an agent, so you know how dangerous this would be if the two of you are seen together." He knew the risks, of course. Not to mention, he knew what the whole team would say. Tony was out of his mind for putting so many people in danger. It didn't change the fact that he had an undying urge to wrap his arms around Kate and never let go.  
"Don't worry. I won't bother you anymore." His tone was friendly, but his eyes said something else. He was hurt. Jane picked up on those emotions and she could only imagine how bad tony felt right now. "I'm sorry. But I promise you she has a good life here. Family, friends, and a good job. We'll take good care of her. You have my word."  
Anthony nodded, taking her word for it. He, even not knowing her, trusted Jane. With that, the brunette stood and headed toward the door. "Thanks, Agent," She said, walking out.

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Jane had left the hotel and gotten into the car, sighing as she did. Maura knew this man, so he had to be trustworthy. Before she could start the engine, there was a cloth around her mouth and a gun to her head. "Give me your weapon, detective," The man breathed into her ear. The sound and his smell made her stomach churn. Slowly, she took the gun from her belt holster and placed it on the passenger seat, which Ari promptly took and put in his jacket pocket.  
"Listen carefully. I don't plan to kill you, but I will if you scream." Jane's breathing had sped up, but she nodded her head to show the man she understood his warning. "I am going to remove the cloth from your mouth and I am going to give you directions to where I am going to hold you captive." This wouldn't be the first time she'd be a prisoner, but this was probably the scariest position she'd ever been in. Absolutely helpless. The only thing she could count on was Maura reporting her missing. Good thing Korsak and Maura and Frankie would all be on top of it. Then, it dawned on her-she was the bait.  
"Why are you doing this?" Jane whispered, though she already knew the answer. "Because you are Caitlin's best friend. Surely, she will come looking for you." But, why did he want her dead? Deciding not to ask questions, she listened to the instructions that Ari gave her and soon, they were at an abandoned storage unit. Why did it always have to be something like this? "It is simple. You scream, I kill you. You behave, you get to live. You are innocent in all of this, but I will do what I have to do." Jane nodded because she understood. But really, she didn't. None of this made any sense.

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Somewhere between worrying about Jane and trying to stay awake, Maura had fallen asleep, only awakening when she heard her phone ringing. It was the job they both shared. "Dr. Isles," She answered sleepily. "Maura. Have you seen Jane? She was supposed to help with paperwork this morning and never showed." Maura's heart stopped. "What? No. She left last night and was supposed to come back, but apparently, she never did. I'll call Angela and Frankie."  
Maura hung up the phone and just as she did, Angela walked through the door. "G'morning, sweetheart! I thought I'd make us eggs and ba-..." But, Angela was cut off by a pale-looking Maura. "What's wrong?" She asked worriedly.

"No one can find Jane."


End file.
